Romans (Written)

Sunday, 26 May 2013

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Romans 6:15

This verse introduces the second major section of chapter 6. Just as 6:1 entertained an outlandish question which was responded to with “Certainly not!” so does 6:15. Paul’s second question is now given.

There is a difference between coming to Christ in order to be saved and being in Christ after being saved. When a sinner comes to Christ, there is absolutely nothing they can add to His work. The doctrine of salvation by grace through faith is set and fixed in the New Testament. Adding something to grace equates to “no grace.” Expecting something more than faith means that faith alone isn’t sufficient. When a person calls on Jesus, it is because they realize they cannot save themselves and that they are at His mercy.

If salvation is granted based on complete dependency, then it must be a once-for-all-time deal because Paul is quite clear that after salvation there are things expected of us. If we can become “unsaved” by the things we do or don’t do after salvation, then the act of salvation wasn’t really “by grace through faith.” But it is.

Once the pardon is granted and once the person stands justified, then we are to live as if it is so. And so Paul asks his question starting with “What then?” This is an introduction based on the previous argument which began in 6:1 and followed through to 6:14. In essence, “Because of everything that has been reviewed, what is the conclusion?” To demonstrate the obvious nature of what is concluded, he proposes another outlandish question, “Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace?” Paul’s answer is an emphatic “Certainly not!”

He has already said that we are not under the law, but under grace. The law allows no sin at all; grace pardons sin. Because this is so, isn’t this license to sin? Can’t we do what we wish and expect an abundance of the grace which comes from the very fountain of grace? This is Paul’s “Certainly not!” Believe it or not though, this is the view of many and it is not at all what is intended by God for His people. Such a notion is contrary to His very nature which is one of holiness. It should be noted though that there are actually two extremes which could be introduced.

The first is that there is license to sin because we are not under the law, but under grace. The second is that because Paul says “Certainly not!” that we are now somehow bound again to the very law which led us to the grace of Christ. Both extremes come about by taking individual thoughts or verses out of context and without consideration to the entire scope of what he is saying.

Christians are not under the law: the law is set aside in Christ (Hebrews 7:18), it is obsolete (Hebrews 8:13), and it is fulfilled and nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). However, what is also noted is that we are not free to sin. So where then does our instruction come from? If by the law sin is known and the law no longer applies to the Christian, then how can we sin? The answer is that the New Testament writings set the standards for the Christian. This is the point of the epistles – to show us what is right and what is expected as followers of the Lord. And this is why the entire scope of the New Testament must be taken in proper context.

Life application: We are not given license to sin. Our salvation is a one-time event and it is eternal. Therefore, what we do after that moment falls under another category – rewards and losses. The imprudent soul would squander Christ’s rewards for earth’s temporary, fleeting vanities. Don’t be imprudent with your few moments of this life… eternity awaits.

Glorious and wonderful Lord! How good it is to know that You have me securely in the palm of Your hand. Were it up to me, I know that I would never be able to stand in Your presence and enjoy Your eternal blessings. But the good news is that it’s not up to me at all. I received Your pardon at the cross and so I know that You have everything else taken care of. Thank You O Lord. Amen.

Saturday, 25 May 2013

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14

The Bible teaches that man was granted dominion over the beasts of the earth. This is implicit in the naming of the animals in Genesis 2. When one names something, it is because they have the rule and authority over it. Despite this rule, man is himself a being which is ruled. The original intent of man is that God would rule over him and that the two would walk in fellowship. However, the devil swayed man from the friendly rule of God to his personal, destructive rule. God’s rule is one of grace and abundance; the devil’s rule is one of sin and corruption. John tells us that the main reason for Jesus’ coming was to correct our state to its original intent –

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

We are either under God’s rule or under the rule of the devil. There are no other options. If we are under the devil, then sin has dominion over us; we are slaves to it. However, when we accept Jesus’ work by faith, we move to the proper and originally-intended rule of God. We are to become slaves to righteousness and live under His grace.

The dominion of the devil, which is one of sin, is realized because of law. Where there is no law, there is no transgression. But there was a law and man broke the law, thus receiving his just condemnation. However, Jesus never broke the law, thus fulfilling it. When we move to Him, the law is fulfilled and we can never be judged by it again. We are free from the law and thus free from sin’s penalty and power; we are under grace.

Because this is true, we should endeavor to live as if it is true. This is what we are instructed. We can now live to God, free from the constraints of the law and the penalty of sin. The condemnation that loomed over us is removed. This is the marvel of Christ; this is the glory of what God has done for His creatures. Let us live lives which are holy and appropriate to the exalted position to which we have been raised by the goodness of God.

Life application: Our state in Christ is unmerited and therefore we should receive it as such – with praise, honor, and right-living. Let us stand fast in the freedom with which Christ has set us free – to the glory of God the Father.

Heavenly Father, it is beyond my comprehension all that You have done for us. You have broken the chains which bound us and have cut through the bars which have imprisoned us; You have set us free to worship You in Spirit and in truth. Thank You for the cross which reconciles us to You and restores to us access to Your glorious presence. Amen.

Friday, 24 May 2013

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:13

Through the law is the knowledge of sin. We have been freed from the power of the law, thus from the penalty that it contains. We have moved from the death of Adam, to life in Christ. Because this is already realized in us, Paul introduces a contrast of what to not do and what we are to do –

1) “Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin.” Our members are the parts of our body. Let our hands be free from theft; let our tongues be free from profanity; let our hearts be free from evil intent; etc. Jesus’ work was that of righteousness and holiness. Because we have moved to Him, how can we think to commit wickedness when it is completely contrary to our new nature?

2) “But” – on the other hand, “present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead.” Sin brings about death. Because we have moved from death to life, we are asked to present ourselves in a manner comparable to our new state – “as being alive from the dead.”

A good example of this would be the state of marriage. When we are single we are free to date others. But when we get married we are to move from a single mindset to that of a married person. We can choose to ignore this, but it would be contrary to the state we are now in. This would lead to confusion in how we act and conduct ourselves. Likewise, now that we are in Christ, we are to act as if we are in Christ and use our “members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

Ephesians 4:25-32 gives us clear insight into the things we can do to fulfill this new state in which we live –

“Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

These are things that we willingly chose to do or to disobey. As Adam Clarke rightly states, “Satan cannot force the will, and God will not.”

Life application: Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Lord God, I am so thankful to You for the life You have given. I have family, friends, and food to build me up and sustain me. You’ve blessed me in ways that I don’t even know. Were I to search out all the good You’ve done for me, I know that the ages would come and go and I wouldn’t exhaust the list. Thank You Lord, thank You for Your care of me in this life. Amen.

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Romans 6:12

“Therefore” is given to sum up everything Paul has said from 6:1 – 6:11. Because of everything which has been evaluated, “do not let sin reign in your mortal body.” If sin weren’t possible, this statement couldn’t even be made, thus it was noted in 6:7 that Paul has been speaking about sin’s, penalty, power, and presence. The penalty of sin has been completely death with. The power of sin is an on-going process which requires action on our part (as is noted now). And the presence of sin will be completely removed when we are glorified.

We can only go in one direction at a time, north or south for example. The same is true concerning our sinful nature. We can either please it and head towards the direction of having sin reign in us, or we can crucify it and have it die in us. When admonishing us to not let it reign in us, Paul uses the term “mortal body.” The reason for this should be obvious – we are not glorified yet and we are not free from either sin’s ability to work in us, nor from sin to completely reign in us once again. Our physical, mortal bodies are weak and must be kept in constant readiness to engage in this battle or we will succumb.

And the way this occurs? It happens when we “obey its lusts.” The weakness of our flesh is prone to temptation. At times it is more so than at others. When we are tired, we are weak in one way. When we are given too much commendation from those around us, it weakens us in another. When we are hungry, we are weakened in another. This is the reason that we need to always be on guard and always prepared to engage in this struggle which wars in our members.

Life application: Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife when she tried to seduce him. That’s still a good idea today. When sin entices, remember that its consequences can be immense. Don’t let sin reign in your body, but glorify the Lord through holiness and right living.

Lord Jesus, You know the war which goes on inside me. There are things that I shouldn’t do and yet I’m tempted to do them. There are things which can only bring me sadness and regret, and yet these are the things which tempt me the most. Give me the wisdom and the fortitude to overcome these desires and to keep my eyes, my thoughts, and my heart on You alone. Amen.

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:11

Paul’s use of “likewise” is to show that what has been presented is now what is expected. Let’s take a moment to go back and read 6:8 through 6:10 to understand our “likewise” and thus what is now anticipated for us –

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”

Because of this beautiful train of thought which reveals what occurred in Christ, and because it occurred in us when we received Him, then the instruction is to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin.”

Here it is in a simple-to-follow format:

1) We died with Christ; (6:8)
2) Death no longer has dominion over Him; (6:9)
3) His death that He died was “to sin once for all”; (6:10)
4) Therefore, we died to sin; now let us reckon that it is so. (6:11)

This is the logical progression that Paul is showing us. The law, by which sin is known to be sin, is fulfilled in Christ. It was nailed to the tree in His body. Therefore, because the law has no power over us, we are free from the law and can now “live to God” just as Christ lives to God.

But more specifically, we are alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. We have moved from being “in Adam” to being “in Christ.” The move is complete and therefore we are no longer bound to the sin-nature.

The amazing beauty of what God has done in Christ is not to be underestimated. This plan which was conceived in the mind of God before the foundation of the world, is revealed in the Person of Jesus. Nothing is missed, nothing has been forgotten or overlooked. It is perfect in how it deals with our sin, both inherited and committed, and it is complete in and of itself. There is nothing we can add to it and there is nothing that can cause us to lose what transpires.

Life application: God has sent His Son into the world to accomplish for us the victory over sin that we need to be reconciled to Him. How could we add to what He has done? How could we presume that His work is somehow deficient or insufficient to either save us or keep us saved? Have faith that God is fully capable of accomplishing your salvation, from beginning to end.

Heavenly Father, Your word shows that You have done all that is necessary to bring about salvation for Your people through Your Son. I know that I can add nothing to this and so I receive His work, by faith. Strengthen me in my times of weakness and remind me that I stand justified, free, and forgiven of all my failings. Thank You for the full and unmerited pardon which came at such a high cost. Amen.